SAN FRANCISCO -- The two brothers who could shed the most light on a Christmas Day tiger attack at the
San Francisco Zoo have not yet spoken out after being released from the hospital.
Paul Dhaliwal, 19, and his brother, 23-year-old Kulbir, suffered severe bite and claw wounds. They were released from the hospital Saturday.
Meantime, the family of the 17-year-old teenager killed by the 350-pound Siberian tiger on Christmas Day is making funeral arrangements.
Carlos Sousa Sr. said he believes his son, Carlos Jr., was a hero who died trying to distract the tiger away from his friends.
"To me, that's the way he was," Sousa Sr. said. "He liked to protect people. Unfortunately in this moment it was fatal."
Sousa Jr.'s mother said her son was best friends with Paul Dhaliwal.
Sousa Sr. said he spent Christmas Day searching for his son. The family did not know that he had gone to the zoo with his friends. He said Dhaliwal told him in a phone conversation on Christmas Day that Sousa Jr. was not with him.
"I called Paul the day my son died and said, 'Have you seen my son?' and he said, 'No,'" Sousa Sr. said. "My son looked at him like a brother, so that's one thing that hurt us a lot."
Sousa Sr. said he had not spoken with the Dhaliwal brothers since the attack.
"I want to say, 'Why'd you lie?'" he said. "'Why didn't you tell me he was with you?'"
The Sousas also want to know why the brothers did not tell police the other person attacked by the tiger was their son. Authorities reported the brothers were not cooperating with them originally.
Police Investigation
A police investigation at San Francisco Zoo revealed Friday that the Siberian tiger was not intentionally let out of its grotto when it attached the young men.
San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong said the police department has completed its investigation on zoo grounds.
She said police wanted to determine whether anyone helped release the 4-year-old, 350-pound tiger Tatiana, or if there was any criminal conduct involved.
"Our investigation has found absolutely no link to any intentional release," Fong said.
She added that police are still conducting interviews and the criminal investigation will be drawing to a close shortly.
Fong and Zoo director
Manuel Mollinedo took no questions from the media at a press conference Friday afternoon.
Mollinedo said the zoo would reopen Thursday.
Fong has asked anyone who was at the zoo Christmas Day and has information on the incident to contact 415-553-1141 during business hours or the confidential tip line at 415-575-4444.
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